The Road to a Smart and Sustainable European Union

About the event

The main goal of the ELF event is to define a smart and sustainable society in the context of the European Union (EU) and to identify critical challenges and opportunities for the EU as regards smart and sustainable EU policy reforms with a particular focus on the Covid-19 pandemic and the EU’s response to this unprecedented crisis, primarily through smart and sustainable development. Namely, the Covid-19 pandemic further highlights the interrelations between our natural and societal systems. As far as the environment is concerned, by 2050, Europe aims to become the world’s first climate-neutral continent.

The analysis of the situations in the smart and sustainable society in the European Union will be a basis for detecting the policy implications and subsequent guidelines for governments and the EU. These measures should provide concrete content-wise help for member states to rebuild economies in response to pandemic-related disruptions. Thus, the proposed topic is essential, especially from the perspective of the modern EU society during and after the Covid-19 pandemic, where democratic and liberal values and ideas represent a necessary basis for effective and efficient sustainable development. 

Programme

13:00-14:40  Workshop: Challenges and opportunities for smart and sustainable EU
Moderators: Nina Tomaževič/Tereza Čajková/Zara Jesenek Dolinar/TBA

14:40-15:00 Break

15:00-15:10 Addresses by the organiser and welcome speeches
            Aleksander Aristovnik | Director, Zavod 14 and University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
            Milosz Hodun | Member of the Board of Directors, ELF and Projekt: Polska Association, Poland

15:10-16:45 Publication presentation: The Road to a Smart and Sustainable European Union

Mapping the road towards green, sustainable and inclusive European Union: Science-based approach or ideological warfare? by Rok Spruk
Is monitoring progress towards sustainability straightforward? Evidence from the EU-28 by Nikos Chatzistamoulouab
Unmet expectations? An analysis of the adaption to country-specific recommendations in the fields of energy and infrastructure in Germany by Julia Jänisch  
Towards sustainable recovery in the European Union: The experience of the Spanish recovery plan by Beatriz Pérez de las Heras
Waste management and circular economy: Lessons from the Greek experience by Kleoniki Pouikli
Digital transformation through artificial intelligence: The case of Slovenia by Eva Murko
Energy transition in the EU: The case of Croatia by Dejan Ravšelj
Smart cities in Romania and European Green Deal by Melania-Gabriela Ciot
Moderator: Nina Tomaževič | University of Ljubljana, Slovenia & Dejan Ravšelj | Zavod 14

16:45-17:00 Break

17:00-18:25 Roundtable: Smart and sustainable EU – a call for an adequate policy response

Rok Spruk
Tereza Čajková
Kleoniki Pouikli (TBC)
Tomaž Lanišek  (TBC)
Moderator: Nina Tomaževič | University of Ljubljana, Slovenia & Dejan Ravšelj | Zavod 14